Memories
by MrFoshizzlePro
Summary: Kenshin and Kenji have a father-son conversation.


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**Memories**

by: MrFoshizzlePro

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki. I claim no rights to this amazing series.

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The air was cool and filled with the wafting fragrance of cherry blossom petals. The Kamiya dojo was drowned to the brim with a peaceful silence. Only the chatter coming from the dojo porch could be heard in the night.

Two red heads sat side by side, caught in confersation. They were listening to eachother, occasionally erupting into laughter and quieting again as they soon started on another subject. They were both males, one younger but resembling his partner who sat to the right of him. The only differences were the color of their eyes and their age.

Kenshin turned his head around, looking at his son, now ten years of age. So much time had passed, he knew, that he sometimes would forget that Kenji was no longer a rambunctious little toddler. Kenji was growing to be a strong young boy. However, even with these factors in mind, the feelings he shared for his only child never faded.

He was very proud of the boy Kenji had become.

Kenshin smiled. Kenji caught this from the corner of his eye and looked at him questionably. Kenshin said, "You are becoming quite the young man, you are."

Kenji's face reddened from the praise but he smiled, nonetheless. He rubbed the back of his head to clear his embarrassment. Then, he replied, "Well, it's all thanks to how you and Okaa-san raised me, Tou-san. Without you two and everyone else, who knows how I would've turned out!"

Kenshin chuckled. "You use to have a habit of pulling my hair when you were little. You'd just grab a strand of my hair with your tiny hands and yank on it." He motioned with his hands to give an example of the procedures that Kenji use to take to pull his hair.

"Yeah," laughed Kenji. "I remember that alright! You and Okaa-san tried to break my habit of doing that later, but it barely worked."

"Hai," Kenshin agreed. He breathed a sigh. "You always were quite the stubborn one, de gozaru."

"Yeah..." Kenji fell quiet. He raised his gaze to the star-studded sky. The twinkling specks of light blinked down at him, as if observing him from high above. "Tou-san?" he murmured softly. He felt his father's eyes land on him and knew he had Kenshin's attention.

Lowering his blue eyes to the ground, Kenji continued with a cloud of reluctance hanging heavily over his head. He didn't want to bring up what was on his mind for fear of how his father would react. Nevertheless, he felt the need to get it off his chest. He said, "When you were little... did you ever have parents?"

Kenshin's violet eyes expressed his sudden surprise. Kenji swallowed hard, nervous. His response came, slow and evenly. He replied, "Hai. I had parents once, de gozaru. They passed away from cholera when I was eight."

"Oh." Kenji kicked his feet back and forth before he asked another question. "What were they like?"

Kenshin neither paused nor hesitated to answer. In fact, Kenji noticed the slightest sign of light glinting in his father's eye. Whether caused by sad or fond memories, he did not know.

"My Tou-san and Okaa-san were much alike in numerous ways by which they cared for me and my two brothers. They always did their best to provide for our small family. There is not a time I can remember when we ever went without. Tou-san and Okaa-san loved us very much... but sometimes, it was harder for Tou-san to show it."

He smiled sadly. "Tou-san always was strict when it came to me. All he wanted was for me to grow to be strong, but I never saw this. Okaa-san just wanted me to be myself, but even that simple wish never became a reality."

"You were always strong to me," Kenji put in thoughtfully. "And I think your Tou-san would be proud of you like I am. Your Okaa-san would be proud, too." He met his father's eyes for the first time in what seemed like hours. Kenshin smiled warmly and dipped his head in gratitude.

"Arigato Kenji. Me and your Okaa-san will forever be proud of you, de gozaru."

"I know, Tou-san," Kenji said with a smile. "I know."

_Owari_


End file.
